NiMo is my collaboration with DJ Monsta. More information for eyes and ears at www.myspace.com/nimojazz

DJ Monsta is well-known in Latvia and abroad for a style that ranges from HipHop and Funk, to new Latin sounds and Acid Jazz. He is a mainstay of Riga clubs and his imaginative remixes are popular fare on radio stations. Unusually among DJ's, Monsta has been especially drawn to situations where his rhythmically precise and energetic turntablism can be heard alongside instrumental musicians. (More info at www.myspace.com/iamdjmonsta)

Nic Gotham and DJ Monsta teamed up to make NiMo in 2008. Their concerts and club appearances have gained steadily in popularity. The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra were so excited by NiMo that they commissioned a collaborative saxophone-DJ-symphony orchestra concert called "SimfoNiMo" for October, 2009. An album is in preparation for release in early 2010. Joining NiMo on the debut album are good friends Madars Kalnins and Rudolfs Macats (both piano/keyboards) and Toms Poiss (bass). The vivid, warm recording was made using a unique combination of vintage and cutting-edge equipment at Riga's Wolk Studio.

Nic Gotham & AbiGali

AbiGali means "Both Ends" in Latvian. This is music both for the head (it's smart and elegant), and also for the feet (it's groovy and you'll want to tap your toes.) Led by Canadian baritone/alto saxophonist and composer Nic Gotham, the band includes some of the most energetic and creative players on the Riga scene. Nic Gotham's repertoire of original tunes includes bright Latin numbers, Neo-Bop, jazz with a strong R&B flavour and soulful ballads. It comes from the contemporary end of the jazz mainstream. For added interest, there are also arrangements of folk-tunes and jazz-ified Pop and Rock classics.

Before moving to Riga with his Latvian-Canadian wife and their two children six years ago, Nic was a very active member of the Canadian jazz and new music community. He led three different well-known groups during his Canadian career including his first band, Gotham City and the fantastic 40 Fingers saxophone quartet, touring Jazz Festivals and clubs across Canada and in the U.S. Arriving in Latvia, Nic quickly shook up the local jazz scene, playing regularly with saxophone legend Raimonds Raubisko and the extremely popular Green Petroleum Funk. Nic has appeared at festivals in the Baltic area including Pori Jazz, Jazz Around (Malmo/Copenhagen), Jazzkaar (Tallinn) and Birstonas Jazz in Lithuania.

The CD "Nic Gotham & AbiGali" was released on the MicRec label in October, 2006. Visit the MicRec website at http://www.micrec.lv/ to buy the CD online or download .mp3's from http://www.doremi.lv/. There are some samples below.